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In the early stages of the war sport was seen as a fertile site for recruitment, and this
film shows 17,000 spectators crammed into the Sydney Stadium to witness Les Darcy defend his world
middleweight title against American Eddie McGoorty in 1915. An intense affair, Police
ended the fight in the 15th round after McGoorty was knocked down
for the fourth time. Beforehand the Premier of NSW, William Holman, and the opposition leader, Charles
Wade, were scheduled to give a recruitment speech.

However, as it became obvious that
the war would not be over quickly, and as casualties from Gallipoli
mounted, sport was condemned as a distraction from fighting and the home front war effort.